Dear All,

All the folders (files are OK) in my 2 hard drives (WinXP, SP2)
became Read only. Unchecking the Read only square in a folders properties
and clicking apply and OK does not work, looking again to that folders
properties
it became again Read only!

Please help, i have no idea what to do.

Thanking you in advance,
Carlos.

"Carlos Martinez" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:#ShNy#(E-Mail Removed)...
> Dear All,
>
> All the folders (files are OK) in my 2 hard drives (WinXP, SP2)
> became Read only. Unchecking the Read only square in a folders properties
> and clicking apply and OK does not work, looking again to that folders
> properties
> it became again Read only!
>
> Please help, i have no idea what to do.
>
> Thanking you in advance,
> Carlos.
>

You don't need to do anything. that's default behaviour and it doesn't
affect anything.

Carlos Martinez wrote:
> Dear All,
>
> All the folders (files are OK) in my 2 hard drives (WinXP, SP2)
> became Read only. Unchecking the Read only square in a folders
> properties and clicking apply and OK does not work, looking again to
> that folders properties
> it became again Read only!
>
> Please help, i have no idea what to do.

Why do you care?

Nothing needs to be done. You are merely misinterpreting the function
and purpose of that checkbox. Quit fooling with it and ignore it.

Carlos Martinez wrote:

> Dear All,
>
> All the folders (files are OK) in my 2 hard drives (WinXP, SP2)
> became Read only. Unchecking the Read only square in a folders properties
> and clicking apply and OK does not work, looking again to that folders
> properties
> it became again Read only!
>
> Please help, i have no idea what to do.
>
> Thanking you in advance,
> Carlos.
>
>

Hi Carlos,

This is from MS-MVP Wesley Vogel, and will explain all (and probably more
than you wanted to know <s>):

"Don't worry about it.

When you customize a folder, a file called desktop.ini gets created. In
order for Windows to read the desktop.ini file for customized folders, it
looks like the Read-only attribute is applied.

Windows Explorer does NOT allow you to view or change a folder's Read-only
or System attribute. Changing these attributes can break special folders
and screw up any of your folder customizations. You can ONLY view or change
a folder's Read-only or System attributes by using the attrib command.

So why do you think that all of your folders are Read-only?

Read-only for folders does not mean Read-only like it does with files.

A file that is marked Read-only can be read, but it cannot be changed or
deleted.

You can delete, rename, move or change a folder that has the Read-only
attribute set. But if it's a System folder, you'll get a Warning.

For folders the Read-only and System attributes are used by Windows Explorer
to determine whether a folder is a special folder or whether you have
customized the folder using the Customize tab of Folder Properties.

If you customized a folder using the Customize tab of Folder Properties, a
desktop.ini file is created in that folder.

Desktop.ini files normally have the Hidden and System attributes.

Special folders include:
Cookies, Control Panel, Desktop, Downloaded Program Files, Favorites, Fonts,
History, My Documents, My Music, My Pictures, My Videos, Recycle Bin, Shared
Documents, Shared Music, Shared Pictures, Shared Videos, SendTo, Start Menu,
Startup, Temporary Internet Files, etc.

Most of those Special Folders have a desktop.ini file. Sometimes the
desktop.ini file cannot be seen (super hidden). The desktop.ini file in
Downloaded Program Files, for example cannot be seen.

To see the desktop.ini for Downloaded Program Files...
Paste the following line into Start | Run and click OK...

%windir%\Downloaded Program Files\desktop.ini

The desktop.ini should open.

When a folder has the Read-Only attribute set, Windows Explorer reads the
Desktop.ini of that folder to see if any special folder settings need to be
set. That is all Read-only means for a folder.

The Read-only check box in Folder Properties does NOT apply to the folder.

The Read-only check box for folders is there for convenience, it allows you
to change the Read-only attribute of all the files contained in that folder.
The Read-only check box indicates whether the files in the folder are
Read-only, NOT the folder. If you select this check box all of the files
in the folder will be Read-only. If you clear the check box, none of the
files in the folder will be Read-only. If the check appears green or gray,
then some of the files in that folder may be Read-only.

If the check appears green or gray, it indicates either a mixed (some of the
files may be Read-only) or undetermined condition. Windows Explorer
displays the green or gray check because it would take too long to verify
the state of the read-only attribute for every file in the folder.

The System attribute serves to protect files from accidental deletion.

The System file attribute by default is set by the operating system or some
other program to mark files that are essentially important for proper
functioning of system.

The System attribute is usually used jointly with Hidden and Read-only
attributes to provide maximum protection of system files. The System
attribute is usually regarded by programs as a mandatory rule which forbids
any actions to be taken upon files or folders marked with this attribute.


To see all of the desktop.ini files on the C: drive...
Open a command prompt....
Start | Run | Type: cmd | Click OK |
Change Directory to C:...
Type: cd \ and hit Enter.
Type: attrib /S desktop.ini and hit Enter.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User"



--
HTH,
Curt

Windows Support Center
http://aumha.org/

"Carlos Martinez" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:%23ShNy%(E-Mail Removed)...
> Dear All,
>
> All the folders (files are OK) in my 2 hard drives (WinXP, SP2)
> became Read only. Unchecking the Read only square in a folders properties
> and clicking apply and OK does not work, looking again to that folders
> properties
> it became again Read only!
>
> Please help, i have no idea what to do.
>
> Thanking you in advance,
> Carlos.
>

Carlos Martinez wrote:


> All the folders (files are OK) in my 2 hard drives (WinXP, SP2)
> became Read only. Unchecking the Read only square in a folders
> properties and clicking apply and OK does not work, looking again to
> that folders properties
> it became again Read only!
>
> Please help, i have no idea what to do.


The folders are not read only. If you'll look more closely at the check mark
in that Read-Only box, you'll see that it's gray, not black. You can also
verify this by clicking a few times in the box; it will cycle among *three*
states: unchecked, checked in black, and checked in gray.

A black check means the item is read-only and an unchecked box means it's
not read-only. But the gray check means that it's neither. The read-only
attribute is not pertinent to folders.

So no, your folders aren't read-only, and what you are seeing is perfectly
normal. There's nothing to worry about and nothing to fix.

--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup

Curt Christianson wrote:
> Hi Carlos,
>
> This is from MS-MVP Wesley Vogel, and will explain all (and probably
> more than you wanted to know <s>):
>
> "Don't worry about it.
>
> When you customize a folder, a file called desktop.ini gets created. In
> order for Windows to read the desktop.ini file for customized
> folders, it looks like the Read-only attribute is applied.
>
> Windows Explorer does NOT allow you to view or change a folder's
> Read-only or System attribute. Changing these attributes can break
> special folders and screw up any of your folder customizations. You
> can ONLY view or change a folder's Read-only or System attributes by
> using the attrib command.
> So why do you think that all of your folders are Read-only?
>
> Read-only for folders does not mean Read-only like it does with files.
>
> A file that is marked Read-only can be read, but it cannot be changed
> or deleted.
>
> You can delete, rename, move or change a folder that has the Read-only
> attribute set. But if it's a System folder, you'll get a Warning.
>
> For folders the Read-only and System attributes are used by Windows
> Explorer to determine whether a folder is a special folder or whether
> you have customized the folder using the Customize tab of Folder
> Properties.
> If you customized a folder using the Customize tab of Folder
> Properties, a desktop.ini file is created in that folder.
>
> Desktop.ini files normally have the Hidden and System attributes.
>
> Special folders include:
> Cookies, Control Panel, Desktop, Downloaded Program Files, Favorites,
> Fonts, History, My Documents, My Music, My Pictures, My Videos,
> Recycle Bin, Shared Documents, Shared Music, Shared Pictures, Shared
> Videos, SendTo, Start Menu, Startup, Temporary Internet Files, etc.
>
> Most of those Special Folders have a desktop.ini file. Sometimes the
> desktop.ini file cannot be seen (super hidden). The desktop.ini file
> in Downloaded Program Files, for example cannot be seen.
>
> To see the desktop.ini for Downloaded Program Files...
> Paste the following line into Start | Run and click OK...
>
> %windir%\Downloaded Program Files\desktop.ini
>
> The desktop.ini should open.
>
> When a folder has the Read-Only attribute set, Windows Explorer reads
> the Desktop.ini of that folder to see if any special folder settings
> need to be set. That is all Read-only means for a folder.
>
> The Read-only check box in Folder Properties does NOT apply to the
> folder.
> The Read-only check box for folders is there for convenience, it
> allows you to change the Read-only attribute of all the files
> contained in that folder. The Read-only check box indicates whether
> the files in the folder are Read-only, NOT the folder. If you select
> this check box all of the files in the folder will be Read-only. If
> you clear the check box, none of the files in the folder will be
> Read-only. If the check appears green or gray, then some of the
> files in that folder may be Read-only.
> If the check appears green or gray, it indicates either a mixed (some
> of the files may be Read-only) or undetermined condition. Windows
> Explorer displays the green or gray check because it would take too
> long to verify the state of the read-only attribute for every file in
> the folder.
> The System attribute serves to protect files from accidental deletion.
>
> The System file attribute by default is set by the operating system
> or some other program to mark files that are essentially important
> for proper functioning of system.
>
> The System attribute is usually used jointly with Hidden and Read-only
> attributes to provide maximum protection of system files. The System
> attribute is usually regarded by programs as a mandatory rule which
> forbids any actions to be taken upon files or folders marked with
> this attribute.
>
> To see all of the desktop.ini files on the C: drive...
> Open a command prompt....
> Start | Run | Type: cmd | Click OK |
> Change Directory to C:...
> Type: cd \ and hit Enter.
> Type: attrib /S desktop.ini and hit Enter.
>
> --
> Hope this helps. Let us know.
>
> Wes
> MS-MVP Windows Shell/User"
>
>
>
>
> "Carlos Martinez" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:%23ShNy%(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Dear All,
>>
>> All the folders (files are OK) in my 2 hard drives (WinXP, SP2)
>> became Read only. Unchecking the Read only square in a folders
>> properties and clicking apply and OK does not work, looking again to
>> that folders properties
>> it became again Read only!
>>
>> Please help, i have no idea what to do.
>>
>> Thanking you in advance,
>> Carlos.

That's a great discussion on the subject and I like it a lot, with the
exception of the use of "super hidden" files without explaining what it is,
since almost no one will unless they've come across it here or in a few
mundane places around the 'net.
There is no such thing IMO; it's simply another of the hidden file
controls available to the user. Nothing "super" about it; seems to be
someone's own invention.
Pop`

It's a new term for me Pop, but I notice MS uses the term in some KB
articles. Do you think I can find it now....

--
HTH,
Curt

Windows Support Center
http://aumha.org/

"Poprivet" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> That's a great discussion on the subject and I like it a lot, with the
> exception of the use of "super hidden" files without explaining what it
> is, since almost no one will unless they've come across it here or in a
> few mundane places around the 'net.
> There is no such thing IMO; it's simply another of the hidden file
> controls available to the user. Nothing "super" about it; seems to be
> someone's own invention.
> Pop`
>
>
>

See "Part 2" "Item 7" of article below.

How to recover from a corrupted registry that prevents Windows XP from
starting
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545/en-us

Curt Christianson wrote:

> It's a new term for me Pop, but I notice MS uses the term in some KB
> articles. Do you think I can find it now....
>

Thank you Bob--that's where I saw it. I was beginning to think I'd never
find it. <g>

--
HTH,
Curt

Windows Support Center
http://aumha.org/

"Bob I" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:%23cJV%(E-Mail Removed)...
> See "Part 2" "Item 7" of article below.
>
> How to recover from a corrupted registry that prevents Windows XP from
> starting
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545/en-us
>
> Curt Christianson wrote:
>
>> It's a new term for me Pop, but I notice MS uses the term in some KB
>> articles. Do you think I can find it now....
>>
>